1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatuses which permit firing of a conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet from a conventional shotgun and more particularly a sabot for retaining therein a conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet in a sabot for insertion in a shotgun shell casing and for chambering in a conventional shotgun.
2. Description of the Contemporary and/or Prior Art
Because of laws adopted in various jurisdictions, sportsmen are precluded from using rifles for certain types of hunting. However, it is well known that use of a bullet rather than lead shot is highly desirable. The subject invention permits compliance with the law and also achieves the desired result in that it permits the user of a shotgun to chamber and fire a bullet therein.
The desirability of chambering a single conventionally shaped projectile in a shotgun shell is well known in the art. There have been longstanding attempts to do so and most prior art attempts either resort to use of a specially shaped bullet with a casing that conforms to the shape of the bullet, or suffer from inadequate retention of the bullet in the sabot. This causes accidental displacement of the bullet from the sabot which leads to at best inaccuracy, and at worst a dangerous situation.
When the sabot is specially shaped and conforms to a specially configured bullet, there is difficulty in that the sabot may continue to fly with the projectile as it exits the shotgun causing unstable flight and therefore lack of accuracy as well as diminished distance. Also, injury to innocent bystanders may result when the sabot separates from the projectile.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,794,141 issued to Bloc-Jorgensen on Feb. 24, 1931 teaches a cartridge with projectile for smooth bore firearms wherein a specially shaped bullet is partially retained within the cartridge by a plurality of segmented wadding rings that are separated from the bullet after firing.
Also teaching specially configured bullets are U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,231 issued on Apr. 10, 1973 to Kelly et al and French Patent 2,352,272 issued to Ontato on Jan. 20, 1978. Both of these patents teach the use of a sabot which conforms to a specially shaped bullet and both suffer from the same infirmity in that the bullet is not released from the sabot immediately upon its firing from a shotgun therefore causing the problems as previously described, and a lack of an ability to use conventional bullets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,169 issued to Maki on Jun. 30, 1987 teaches a slug assembly for shotgun shells where the slug or bullet is specially shaped and frictional retention is employed. Aside from not being able to guarantee retention of the bullet therein the less than desirable aerodynamic properties of the bullet are also suffered.
Although not directly analogous to the subject invention, sabots are also known for channeling a subcaliber bullet in pistols or rifles For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,164,092 issued to Reed et al on Jan. 5, 1965 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,006 issued to Kelson on Dec. 16, 1980 each teach a sabot which includes a longitudinal chamber for receiving therein a conventionally shaped that is retained for firing in a larger bored firearm. Although the bullets are conventionally shaped, no means are shown or suggested for retaining the bullets therein other than frictional engagement. Unfortunately, this proves to be basically unsatisfactory in that the bullets cannot be adequately maintained in position and may fall out of the sabot. Further, if such configuration was used in a shotgun, the problem would be amplified by virtue of the inability to structurally maintain frictional engagement because of the relatively flexible nature of a shotgun cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 686,375 issued to Wheeler on Nov. 12, 1901 teaches a subcaliber cartridge or sabot comprised of wood which includes a chamber in which a vertical projectile can be placed prior to the forcing of the projectile into a small arms cartridge. As in well known in the art, small arms cartridges are essentially constructed of brass and are relatively rigid. While such a configuration may hold a vertical projectile in position in a hard case, such would be totally unsuitable for use in a soft shotgun shell. A wooden cylinder cartridge is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 115,498 issued to Milbank on May 30, 1871.
In reviewing the modern prior art as shown in Maki, Ontato, and Kelly et al it is clear that the present trend in the art is toward employing of specially configured bullets rather than readily available conventionally shaped bullets, and as shown in Kelly and Ontato, these require complimentarily configured sabots for engagement. Further, the configuration shown in Maki not only employs a specially shaped bullet, but also suffers from the infirmity of mere frictional engagement.
The subject invention overcomes the problems associated with the prior art by providing a sabot for retaining therein a conventionally shaped tapered-nose bullet which is dimensionally engaged by the sabot, but which is readily freed therefrom when fired from a shotgun. As a result, the flight of the bullet is highly accurate and the danger and infirmity of having the sabot carried along with the bullet towards its target is avoided.